Tongs-operating apparatus



H. AIKEN.

ARATW Patented July 14, 1896.l

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- I-I. AIKEN.

TONGS OPERATING APPARATUS.

No. 564,041. Patented Ju1y 14, 1896..

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No. 564,041. `Paten-'1aed July 14, 1896.

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H. IKEN.

TONGS OPERATING APPARATUS. No. 564,041. Patented July 14, 1896.

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No. 564,041. Patented July 14, 1896,

WITNESSES INVENTOR y NITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

HENRY AIKEN, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

TONGS-OPERATIG APPARATUS..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 564,041, dated July 14, 1896. Application filed July 30,1895. Serial No. 557,651. (No model.)

.To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY AIKEN, of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and `State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Tongs-Operating Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which--- Figure l shows in side elevation a crane provided with myimproved ingottongs,which are shown inserted into the mouth of a furnace and open. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on a large scale, showing the mechanism for operating the tongs. Fig. 3 is anl elevation, partly in vertical section, showing the mechanism of Fig. 2 and also the mechanism which I employfor raising and lowering the tongs. Fig. 4. is a sectional plan view, the section being on the line IV IV of Fig. 3. Figs.

5 and 6 are sectional plan views on the lines V Vand VI VI of Fig. 2. Y Fig. 7 is a plan view of the trolley.

In the drawings, 2 represents the jib or bridge of a traveling crane.

3 is a trolley mounted thereon, preferably carrying a motor 36, by which it may be moved on the jib, and 5 5 are the uprights of a frame which depends vertically from the trolley and have suitable braces 6.

7 7 are vertical shafts which extend downwardly from the trolley and are stepped at their lower ends in bearings 8', carried by said frame. One of these shafts is driven by a motor 35 and suitable gearing on the trolley and operates the opening and closing mechanism of the tongs, and the other rotates the tongs and is worked by the operator from thev platform, connection being made between the operating-stand and trolley by a square shaft B, connected by gearing C and a cross-shaft D with the shaft 7. As shown in Fig. l, the gear-Wheel 29 on the shaft B, which is connected with the gearing C on the trolley, is a squared h ub whichl travels on said shaft B and maintains operative connection therewith in all positions of the trolley.

9 is a rotary vertical screw-shaft which extends downwardly from a motor on the trolley.

lO is a nut which is fitted on the screwshaft, so that as the shaft rotates the nut will be moved thereon up or down, and 1l is a tubular post which is xed to the nut and extends down vertically therefrom, having swiveled at the lower end a head l2, to which are pivoted arms 13, connected,`respectively, with the two levers 14. of the tongs. To prevent the post 1l from rotating, but to permit it to move vertically, I fix it to a cross-head 15, having arms l5', which fit in guideways 16 on the frame 5 6 and having laterally-extend'- ing arms 17, which t loosely around the shafts 7 7. The jaws of the tongs are pivoted at 18 to a head 19, which at its upper end is fixed vertical plates 33and bolts 34:, which pass through tubular eyes on said plates, as shown lin Fig. 6, thus connecting the cross-heads 15 and 30 rigidly together, forming with them a frame and causing them to move in unison.

The gear-wheel 2l meshes with a pinion 23 on the4 shaft 7', and as the bearings 22 are fixed to the cross-head 30 they serve to support the several gear-wheels and the mechanism about to be described, andcause them to move vertically with the traveling nut l0. Vhen the pinion 23 is rotated by the shaft 7', which, as before stated, is rotated by the operator, it rotates the gear-wheel 2l and with it the sleeve 20, which is keyed thereto, so as to turn the head 19 of the tongs on its vertical axis. The shaft 7 being square and the pinion 23 having a squared hub, the latter is free to move vertically on the shaft Without being operatively disconnected therefrom.

For opening and closing the tongs I employ a rotary cam 24., having an upright cam-face and j ournaled upon the bearing 22, above described. Fixed to this cam is an annular series of gear-teeth 25, meshing with a pinion 2O are at the highest position of the range of 1 motion afforded by the cam, as shown in Fig. 2, they raise the fulcra of the tongs-levers relatively to the head 12, so as to throw the jaws of the tongs open, and if the cam be turned so as to allow the rollers to descend the inclined face of the cam and to lower the sleeve the descent of the head 19, carrying 1 down the fulcra of the tongs, will cause the l jaws to close, as shown by dotted lines.

The operation is as follows: By movement v of the jib of the crane and by movement of the trolley on the jib the tongs can be carried to any desired position within the range of motion of the crane in t-he building or other place in which the apparatus is situated. Then, if it be desired to lower the tongs into position to grasp an ingot, the screw-shaft 9 is rotated so as to move down the nut 10 and post 11, and with these parts to carry down the cross-heads 15 and 30 with the supportin g-bearing 22, the cam and gear-wheels supported thereby, and the tongs supported at the end of the post. If it be desired to turn the tongs, the shaft 7 is rotated by the operator so as to turn the gear-wheel 2l and sleeve 20; and, finally, to open and close the tongs, the cam 24: is turned by rotating the shaft 7, the motion of which is transmitted to the cam by the pinion 2G and gear-wheel 25. To raise the tongs, the screw-shaft is rotated in the reverse direction.

The apparatus thus affords a very simple,

compact, and strong mechanism for operating the tongs. It affords allth'e means necessary to grasp an ingot, lift it, and to release it when it has been carried by the crane to the place where it is to be deposited, (the furnace, if it be an ingot to be heated, or the feed-table of a rolling-mill if it be a hot ingot to be rolled.) l

Without limiting myself to the precise form and arrangement of the parts which I have shown in the drawings, since these may be varied by the skilled mechanic, I claim- 1. In tongs-operatin g mechanism, the coinbination `of a non-rotatory post carrying the tongs, a rotatory sleeve on the post, a head which carries the fulcra of the tongs and is secured to the sleeve so as to rotate therewith, a swiveled head 12 on the post, and tongs having jaws pivoted to the first-named head and having arms connecting the jaws to the swiveled head; mechanism for moving the sleeve and post vertically to raise and lower the tongs, and mechanism for rotating the sleeve on the post, substantially as described.

In tongs-operating mechanism, the combination of a post, a frame carried thereby, tongs carried by the post, a screw-shaft and nut (one of which is fixed to the post) adapted to move the post vertically, a frame which is carried by the post, and mechanism for turning the tongs and opening and closing the same carried by said frame, substantially as described.

3. In tongs-operating mechanism, the conibination of a trolley, a frame depending therefrom, rotatory vertical shafts extending from the trolley and journaled in said frame, a vertically-movable post carrying the tongs, a frame movable vertically with the post, and gearing on the movable frame connected with the tongs, said gearing having traveling connection with said shafts; substantially as described.

4t. In tongs-operating apparatus, the cornbination of a vertically-movable post carrying the tongs, mechanism for moving it vertically, a sleeve on the post carrying a head to which the jaws of the tongs are pivoted, and a cam surrounding the sleeve, said sleeve having a portion which bears upon the cam and is moved thereby, substantially as described.

5. In tongs-operating mechanism the combination of a vertically-movable post carrying the tongs, a sleeve which is vertically movable to open and close the tongs and a cam bearing on the sleeve and adapted to raise the same; substantially as described.

6. In tongs-operating apparatus, the combination of the screw-shaft and nut, the post, a frame carried thereby, a sleeve on the post for turning the tongs, a cam for raising and lowering the sleeve, gearing' for turning the sleeve and turning the cam, and ashaft having a traveling connection therewith, said cam and gearing being supported by the frame, substantially as described.

7. In tongs-operating apparatus, the coni-` bination of a vertically-movable post carrying the tongs, and a frame carried by the post and constituted by an upper cross-head and a lower cross-head, having an intermediate connection, one of them being fixed to the post, gearing carried by one of the cross-heads and connected with the tongs, and a guide in which the frame moves, substantially as described.

8. In tongs-operating apparatus, the combination of a vertically-movable post carrying the tongs, and a frame carried by the post and constituted by an upper cross-head and IOO IIO

a lower cross-head, having an intermediate connection, one of them being fixed to the post, and gearing carried by one of the crossheads and connected with the tongs, substantially as described.

also concentric with the post and having driv- [o ing mechanism; substantiallyT as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

HENRY AIKEN.

Vitnesses:

W. V. FLANAGAN, H. D. MESKIMEN. 

